


A Badly Kept Secret

by Elthadriel



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Domestic Violence, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, pre-adoribull
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 07:17:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6109189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elthadriel/pseuds/Elthadriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's an open secret that Dorian's husband hits him, and no one seemed interested in helping. </p><p>Bull might not be able to get Dorian out of the relationship, but at least he can offer the man a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Badly Kept Secret

**Author's Note:**

> A response to a prompt from theladylily on tumblr. She is a gift and comes up with the best angst prompts.
> 
> "Adoribull Prompt – Adoribull – It’s always being an open secret that Dorian’s Husband/Boyfriend beats him, way before he join the Skyhold workforce as researcher. Nobody said anything or did anything, let the snobby vint handle himself or at least that was the plan until they got to know the vint and the bruises were getting larger."
> 
> I was planning on posting a fluffy thing next, but then this happened. I swear the next thing is fluff! It's finished and everything! I'm just waiting on accompanying art from a friend!

Bull didn’t like ignoring stuff like this. In fact, it made his skin crawl, but he barely knew Dorian, who kept very much tom himself, and he had seen Dorian with his husband once at a staff party. Rilienus looked thoroughly unhappy to be there, scowling when he thought no one was looking, and Dorian, seemingly to compensate, leapt to obey his every request.

 

If Rilienus wanted a drink, Dorian would jump up to get him one, or would hold Rilienus’ coat for him, even while he did nothing that would have prevented him from holding his own coat, and practically ignored everyone else who tried to talk to him, in favour of entertaining his husband. It was hard to miss the adoration in Dorian’s eyes whenever he looked at Rilienus, even if they tightened in anxiety every time Rilienus looked anything less than one hundred percent happy.

 

Bull knew a lost cause when he saw one.

 

It was harder to ignore when he started to be able to predict the days Dorian would show up with fresh bruises on his face, covered as best he could with make-up but still clearly visible to anyone who looked. Bull wondered if Dorian had excuses ready for anyone who asked about them, and how it must feel that no one ever did.

 

It was that that spurred Bull into actually talking to Dorian.

 

It was late, almost ten, which meant Dorian would be sporting new bruises the next time he came into work. He always had fresh ones when he stayed late to work, and Dorian was still in his office. He had books stacked up on his table and on the floor, notes all over the place and he stared down at his work, glasses slipping down his nose. He was chewing on the end of his pen, an expensive fountain pen by the looks it, which certainly deserved better treatment than that.

 

There was a faint yellowish mark around his left eye, almost totally covered by make-up, but a small cut on his check was still scabbed over with dried blood, and there wasn’t enough make-up in the world to hide it.

 

Bull leant against the doorway, watching Dorian for a moment, admiring the slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he worked.

 

“Working late, Professor?” Bull asked, fully stepping into the room. Dorian jumped, eyes widening in shock. He covered his expression quickly, but Bull had already seen and catalogued the information.

 

“I suppose,” Dorian said. He pulled off his glasses, folding them and placing them down on his notes. “I work better in the evenings, when it’s quiet. This volume that Josephine managed to get hold of for me is also proving to be very helpful to my work.”

 

“Yeah, I heard all you guys were getting excited over the new books.”

 

“You guys? I resent being lumped in with anyone like that. Have you seen me? Clearly I deserve my own category.” Dorian raised his chin, proudly showing off exactly how good looking he was.

 

“Eh,” Bull shrugged. “All you researches look the same to me.”

 

Dorian spluttered indignantly. “And I suppose everyone in the IT department looks so different.”

 

“Well…” Bull started.

 

“Yes, yes, I realise having said that how ridiculous a statement that is. You all look like you might be at home in a comedy act, but you are all uniquely weird.”

 

“Thanks, Professor” Bull said, puffing up his chest.

 

Dorian sighed dramatically. “You are welcome to call me Dorian.”

 

“Thanks Dori,” Bull beamed. “I’m Bull.”

 

“Dorian,” he corrected quickly. “It’s a pleasure.” Dorian offered his hand.

 

Bull took it, shaking it firmly.

 

“Not to be an inconsiderate host, but did you need something?”

 

“I just wanted check in. You doing okay?” Bull asked, nodding at Dorian’s face. Dorian brought a hand up to cover the marks self-consciously, eyes widening again.

 

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine, thank you. It was an accident.” Dorian’s hand, the one not on his face was gripping his pen tightly in a first, his knuckles going white under his skin. All the playfulness of his earlier tone had vanished, and he was suddenly cold and guarded.

 

Bull weighed up the advantages of pressing the issue. He cursed mentally.

 

“You sure? You seem to have a lot of accidents.”

 

“I assure you, everything’s fine,” Dorian’s whole body was tense, and Bull was sure he could see fear in Dorian’s eyes.

 

Bull sighed “Yeah well, if it’s ever not, I’m down on the ground floor.”

 

Dorian swallowed.

 

“I should head home; my husband will be waiting for me.” Dorian started stuffing his things into his bag, very deliberately avoiding Bull’s eye. He stood and lead them back out into the hallway, fumbling to lock the office behind them.

 

“Sure,” Bull said casually, as though he wasn’t feeling awful letting this man walk home to a beating. “See you around, Dorian.”

 

Dorian hesitated. “That would be nice,” he said at last, before hurrying down the corridor. Bull watched him leave, wondering if he should have done more.

 

Hell, maybe just having a friend could help.

 

\---

 

Dorian hadn’t come into work the next day, but he had shown up the day after, a new bruise colouring his face, and another pecking out over the top of his collar.

 

He was also wearing a new watch, something expensive and flashy. When Bull has asked about it, Dorian had beamed and informed it was a gift from Rilienus.

  
Bull kept visiting Dorian, occasionally having lunch in his cramped office or rarely convincing Dorian to join the IT department for lunch in their own staff room. Dorian mentioned Rilienus… A lot. He wouldn’t allow a bad word said against him, talking enthusiastically about every little thing he had ever done. Bull was beginning to wonder if Dorian was even under the impression Rilienus shit gold.

 

There was also the undercurrent of just how grateful Dorian was that someone, someone as ‘amazing and wonderful as Rilienus’, even wanted to be with him. Bull wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, tell him that any man would be lucky to have him.

 

Their friendship, resulting in Bull dropping by Dorian’s office regularly, almost out of habit, meant that it wasn’t totally surprising that Bull found Dorian hunched in the corner of his office in the middle of the night, long after everyone else had gone home. Hell, Bull was only back because he realised he had left his keys there when he had gotten home.

 

Dorian was crying, but he looked more dazed that upset. His gaze was blank and unseeing and his face almost expressionless. He had a split lip and there was dried blood running down his temple.

 

“Dorian?” Bull carefully stepped into the room, pushing the door shut behind him. He approached Dorian slowly, lowering himself to the floor so they were on a more equal level.

 

Dorian didn’t say anything, he just kept staring at his hands.

 

“Dorian? Are you okay? Do you need me to call someone?”

 

“He left me.” Dorian croaked out.

 

“What?” Bull couldn’t think of a more eloquent answer before he spoke.

 

Dorian let out a sound which was an awful mix between a laugh and a sob.

 

“Rilienus left me. He kicked me out. He said he couldn’t trust me, and he was done settling for me.” 

 

“Fuck, Dorian…”

 

“I talked about wanting to go out for drinks with the IT department, maybe. He said he didn’t want to go, so I suggested I go without him. He… He…” Dorian gasped in a desperate breath. “He got upset, asked if he wasn’t enough for me, asked why I was constantly looking for other men to spend time with.” Dorian looked up at Bull with wide desperate eyes. “I never wanted to be with anyone else, Bull, I swear. I love him, I only want to be with him. Please say you believe me!”

 

Bull sighed, and moved against the wall, next to Dorian. “I believe you, Dorian.”

                         

“He’s right though, I’m so selfish. I never think about anyone else but myself. He was right to be upset with me. I constantly put work before him, even though I knows he likes me being with him.” Dorian buried his face in his hands. “I knew I would mess this up eventually.”

 

“Dorian,” Bull said carefully, “maybe you’re better off without him.”

 

“No, no,” Dorian said hurriedly, scrambling to pull out his phone. “I can make it up to him. I’ll quit this job, find something with shorter hours, or so I can work from home. I can show him I’m serious about making this work.”

 

“You love this job,” Bull said.

 

“I love _him,_ ” Dorian spat back.

 

Bull wanted to take the phone from him, to try and force him to see reason, but the last thing Dorian needed was someone else controlling his choices. He watched, helplessly, as Dorian scrolled to Rilienus’ number and hit call.

 

It rang for long enough that Bull thought Rilienus wasn’t going to answer, but just before it went to voice mail the ringing stopped and there was the sound of someone picking up.

 

“Ril-”

 

“Don’t call me again, you pathetic little slut. I’m done with you lying to me, flirting with other men, _right in front of me,_ flouncing around doing whatever you want to do, without a second thought to my feelings. We’re done. Good luck finding someone else who’ll put up with you.” Bull could almost see a cruel sneer across Rilienus’ handsome face. Dorian’s own expression crumpled and Bull wished he hadn’t been able to hear Rilienus talk.

 

“Amatus, I never-”

 

Rilienus hung up.

 

Dorian stared at his phone, eyes shining with fresh tears.

 

“He just needs a couple of days to calm down,” Dorian said at last, but he didn’t sound convinced. “I can fix this.”

 

“Do you have somewhere to stay?” Bull asked softly. He carefully put his arm around Dorian’s shoulders, but Dorian didn’t look up from his phone.

 

“No.” Dorian said. He was trembling slightly, still staring in shock down at his phone.

 

“Come on then. My roommate and I can share a bed and you can take mine. Actually, more likely you’ll take his, my bed is bigger than most to accommodate for this.” He gestured at himself.

 

“No,” Dorian said faintly. “I should stay here, in case he comes looking for me.”

 

Bull wondered how much trouble he’d be in if he broke into the personal records, found out were Dorian lived, and went over and broke Rilienus’ face.

 

“I’ll wait with you then. I don’t want you to be alone.”

 

“You can’t sleep here, Bull,” Dorian said, suddenly alarmed.

 

“Then you better come home with me. I can make a great hot chocolate -the real stuff, not from the powder.” He nudged Dorian slightly.

 

Dorian gave the weakest smile. “Okay.”

 

Bull stood, and Dorian allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and guided out to Bull’s car.

 


End file.
